Quarterly Board Meeting Wednesday 1, 2019 10:00AM to 2:18PM

Pennsylvania School Boards Association 400 Bent Creek Boulevard, Mechanicsburg,

Meeting Minutes

Attendance

Members: Jeffrey Brown, Chair; Secretary ; Secretary ; Secretary ; Secretary Meg Snead; Secretary ; Secretary ; Deputy Secretary Eileen Cipriani; Representative Morgan Cephas; Denise Andahazy; Jodi Pace; Henry Nicholas; Pete Klein; Frank Sirianni; Sarah Hollister; Patrick Eiding; Jessica Trybus; James Kunz; Nick Gilson; Tim Bean; Marguerite Kline; Michael Pipe; James Harper Jr.; Carrie Lenze; Ron Kratofil; Christopher Hackett; John “Ski” Sygielski; Deputy Secretary Allison Jones, for Governor Wolf; Deputy Secretary Christian Stephens, for Secretary John Wetzel; Deputy Secretary Carol Kilko, for Secretary ; Patrick Cawley, for Senator Bartolotta; Shannon Walker, for Representative Ryan Mackenzie; Margie McKevitt, for Diane Ellis Marseglia; Lisa Williams, for Matt Yarnell; George Piasecki, for Bob McAuliffe; Steve Holsinger, for Wendie DiMatteo-Holsinger

Presenters: Secretary of Policy and Planning Meg Snead; Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center Executive Director Zach Reber; Scott Sheely, PA Department of Agriculture; Dave Miles, PA Department of Aging; Deputy Secretary Carol Kilko, Department of Community and Economic Development; Deputy Secretary Christian Stephens, PA Department of Corrections; Secretary Pedro Rivera, PA Department of Education; Secretary Teresa Miller, PA Department of Human Services; Secretary Jerry Oleksiak and Deputy Secretary Eileen Cipriani, PA Department of Labor and Industry; Secretary Pedro Rivera, Julie Kane, and Laura Fridirici, PA Department of Education; Dr. Gennaro R. Piraino Jr, Superintendent at Franklin Regional School District; Executive Bill Thompson, Westmoreland/Fayette Workforce Development Board; Chair James Kunz, Youth Committee; Chair John “Ski” Sygielski, Industry Partnerships and Employer Engagement Committee; Co-Chair Jeffrey Abramowitz, Re-entry Ad Hoc Committee; President & CEO H. Patrick Clancy, Works

Staff: Executive Director James Martini, Deputy Director Tracey Turner, Mary Hoskins

Welcome and Introductions

Chair Brown called the Quarterly Meeting to order at 10:07 AM and noted that it was a packed agenda since the last quarterly meeting was missed.

Chair’s Updates

Chair Brown sought a motion to approve the minutes from October 23, 2018.

MOTION: Mr. Nicholas moved to approve the October 23, 2018 minutes. Mr. Hackett seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

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Chair Brown sought a motion to approve the revised bylaws.

MOTION: Mr. Nicholas moved to approve the revised bylaws. Mr. Eiding seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Governor’s Budget Update

PA Policy and Planning Secretary Meg Snead provided a quick update as to the outlook of the budget. Secretary Snead noted that the Governor’s proposed budget, from back in February, heavily invested in education and workforce. Secretary Snead also highlighted some of the Governor’s other plans including SWEAP (Statewide Education Accountability Program), Teacher in the Workplace and building the success and impact of the $30 million PA Smart initiative by adding another $10 million for CTE and manufacturing in PA as well as another initiative that supports community college students with tuition assistance. Secretary Snead noted that negotiations were just beginning on the budget and that there would be a more expansive update at the next meeting. The Governor’s Office is also proposing Restore Pennsylvania which is a severance tax that would generate $4.5 billion for infrastructure investment. An executive order from the governor established the PA Keystone Economic Development and Workforce which hosts a collaboration between the Departments of Community and Economic Development, Labor and Industry, State and external partners including the AFL-CIO, the PA Chamber, and the Team PA Foundation. Secretary Snead also introduced Zach Reber who is serving as the executive director of the Workforce Command Center.

Chairman Brown invited Zach Reber to give an outline of the work of the Command Center.

Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center Executive Director Zach Reber noted that the Command Center’s focus at the moment is to learn what each agency and organization has a part in as related to workforce programs and strategies. Mr. Reber remarked that when Gov. Wolf signed the executive order in February a plan was laid out to create a public-private partnership to address workforce-related issues and recommend action to eliminate impediments to employment and better align resources to position PA for a skilled workforce and competitive business climate. Mr. Reber also noted that there are six co-chairs for the Command Center but there is also representation from the Departments of Human Services, Agriculture, Corrections, and Education, the Office of the Auditor General and the State Workforce Development Board. Mr. Reber concluded his remarks by asking that if anyone had any recommendations to align programs or identify barriers that should be addressed to pass them onto Mr. Martini or email [email protected].

Chairman Brown commented that while it may seem like the Command Center and the State Workforce Development Board are doing similar work but that is not the case. The Command Center seems to be a way for the State Workforce Development Board to advance policy recommendations as well as magnify recommendations and receive bipartisan support.

Mr. Gilson asked if the data could happen in real-time or if it was recommendation based and if the Board had the power to change anything. Chairman Brown answered that the Board could recommend ideas to the Governor but that the command center could potentially expedite the process. Chairman Brown also commented that the command center could help the government keep up with market conditions.

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Chairman Brown then asked Mr. Nicholas Gilson to introduce himself to the Board since it was his first meeting. Mr. Gilson stated that he started his company, Gilson Snow, with his business partner, Austin Royer to bring a radically differentiated technology to the world of snow sports. Gilson Snow built a manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania and they use locally-sourced lumber. In the last six years they have expanded across the United States and the world.

Mr. Eiding commented that he was worried that the Board collectively had not established an identity for itself and that recommendations were forming sporadically. Mr. Eiding commented that if the Board was just going to have to go to the Governor through a different route that the local boards would be even further away. Chairman Brown commented that he still carries concerns, but they will wait to see how it unfolds and give feedback if it is not going in a good direction, but that he felt optimistic.

Chairman Brown asked another new member, Sarah Hollister, to introduce herself. She currently serves as the Vice President of Youth and Gateway programming at JEVS Human Services. Ms. Hollister comments that she has a strong K-12 policy education background and is currently overseeing a lot of youth workforce initiatives and pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship work.

Secretary Snead commented that her take on the Command Center is that is supposed to increase collaboration among state agencies and is modeled after the Opioid Command Center. Sec. Snead asked that if members think that the work is duplicative to let her, or Allison Jones know. Executive Director Martini also later commented that changes can either be an executive order, go through the legislative process, or go through agencies and that changes through agencies can usually move quicker.

Mr. Martini also commented that the Auditor General is also a part of the Command Center and that after Chairman Brown and himself presented on the work of the Board, the Auditor General presented afterwards and was very positive about the steps workforce development has been taking. Mr. Martini commented that he would share the results of the audit with the Board within weeks of the meeting. Mr. Martini then remarked that the Board is moving into the 2020 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act planning process as every four years, a Combined State Plan must be submitted. Meetings around broad goals and sub goals have been occurring. The Board will be asked to comment on issues that arise out of those conversations. Mr. Martini commented that engagement will begin with local board partners starting with the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association Conference. The Board also submitted the annual report that is required under the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Act and was able to highlight much of the good work that Pennsylvania has done. Mr. Martini noted remarked that Board members’ annual Ethics Commission statements on financial interests were due Wednesday, May 1st.

Chairman Brown asked if the PA annual report was in the briefing book and Mr. Martini commented that it was not but would happily be supplied if requested.

Mr. Sygielski commented that he wanted to commend the staff for putting out the annual report because it was interesting to see the different activities that are happening in the state.

Mr. Martini introduced two new staff members, Deputy Director Tracey Turner whose background was working in the in the state for youth programming and Mary Hoskins whose background is through the federal bonding program.

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Chairman Brown then stated that the meeting was going to transition to agency reports starting with agriculture.

Agency Reports- Agriculture

Scott Sheely, the Special Assistant for Workforce Development at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, commented that it was a busy six months for agriculture. One of the main projects was teaming up with the Pennsylvania Department of Education to create the Pennsylvania Commission for Agriculture Education Excellence. The entity is supposed to look at the agriculture education system in PA and make recommendations about gaps that have been identified. Mr. Sheely noted that the Pennsylvania Farm Show is always a great opportunity to talk to the public about agricultural careers. During the Farm Show, there was almost 100 different 30 to 60-minute programs that highlighted ag careers. The Department of Agriculture also collaborated with the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs to honor veterans with specific focus on veterans in agriculture. The Department has also been working with apprenticeship and supporting efforts of PASA for more agriculture production-oriented apprenticeships, especially agriculture equipment service technicians. There is a critical shortage of workers in that field. Mr. Sheely also remarked that the PA Department of Agriculture has a lot of work going on in Western PA to do gap training (a food safety program). The Department of Agriculture working to put together the Pennsylvania Environmental Education Advisory Council while participating in the Agriculture Labor Coalition to discussion how immigration affects agriculture labor throughout the US. Mr. Sygielski asked if community colleges will be engaged in developing or using the curriculum to work with the equipment association to provide training on farm equipment. Mr. Sheely answered that the Department of Agriculture is trying to tap anybody that could provide the training as they want it to become a statewide project. The program is currently based in Lancaster, but it will grow.

Agency Reports- Aging

Mr. Dave Miles, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) program manager, stated that they are they are the only employment and training program that is designed for 55 years and older Pennsylvanians. The focus of the program is to train people in community service activities to help them get real world experience and training. They are currently set to meet all their goals and are going to place almost a hundred people out of the program into unsubsidized employment.

Agency Reports- Community and Economic Development

Deputy Secretary for Business Financing, Ms. Carol Kilko noted that she would just be commenting on the highlights of what DCED has been working on as the full report is in the briefing book. Gwen Ross has been working with Labor and Industry to provide support on the Next Generation Industry Partnerships. DCED also has a pre-apprenticeship/ apprenticeship grant program and they have done 30 programs with the funds they had. Within the program they are able to help pay for classroom training but can only pay up for up to five apprentices per program because of the funds that they have. DCED also has Manufacturing Training to Career. The program works with various service providers like CTCs, community colleges, and nonprofit organizations. There are short training programs, an example is one with training for English in Reading. Another program is the Workforce and Economic Development Network program (WEDnet) which is incumbent worker training. Chairman Brown asked if DCED worked directly with the employers on the programs and Ms. Kilko responded that they did because it is DCED’s interest.

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Ms. Andahazy commented that as an employer, her company has used WEDnet and that it is a valuable tool for employers.

Agency Reports- Corrections

Mr. Stephens commented that the primary goal is to work with individuals to ensure that they had the opportunity to identify a career path prior to being released and to send them back to a community work ready. Mr. Stephens also noted that Corrections was working closely with Labor and Industry to educate the public as to the benefits of hiring a re-entry. As of April 2019, there was a 65 percent employment of individuals previously incarcerated and the rate for that measurement has jumped 15 percent in the last three years. Corrections has also been teaming up with the private sector, specifically the Community College of Allegheny County where individuals are trained in vocational, construction, ServSafe type of employment. Mr. Stephens also notes that the Department of Corrections now has the ability to work with individuals inside the prisons and once they are released.

Ms. Andahazy asked Mr. Stephens who she could contact at the Department of Corrections about hiring people who are currently incarcerated as her business has done that in other areas. Mr. Stephens asked Ms. Andahazy contact him.

Agency Reports- Education

PA Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera commented that progress is being made for talking between agencies and that the first public library and PA CareerLink® office partnership out in Johnstown is proof of that. Secretary Rivera also remarked that delivery grants have been going out as the Department of Education is looking beyond traditional adult basic education. Another major initiative of the Department of Education is through the Governor’s initiative to look at PA Smart STEM and computer science grants. They are starting many of the students into STEM as early as kindergarten, but screen time is not the only component that the children get when learning those aspects.

Agency Reports- Human Services

PA Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller commented that many exciting things are happening at the Department of Human Services as they are redesigning some of their programs. Human Services is currently working on a statewide comprehensive online resource and referral tool. Sec. Miller comments that the department has been very focused on social determinants, but the online tool should be able to help them better help the people in need. Employment First continues to be a major priority for Human Services. Sec. Miller noted that they have the Governor’s Executive Order and legislation that became law, so they will continue in moving forward to connect people with disabilities to competitive integrated employment. Sec. Miller also asked that anyone that has input as they are developing their 2020 SNAP employment and training plan to reach out. Some of the major components of the SNAP program are SNAP KEYS, the SNAP Work Ready program, and the SNAP 50/50 project. The SNAP 50/50 program allows the Dept. of Human Services to partner with entities that provide training and certificates in an effort to help individuals get jobs and they hope to expand the program. Sec. Miller noted that if anybody wanted more information to reach out to Tamila Lay at [email protected].

Agency Reports- Labor and Industry

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PA Department of Labor and Industry Deputy Secretary of Workforce Development Eileen Cipriani commented that the report in the Briefing Book was actually the report for February and that the May quarterly meeting report would be sent out as soon as possible. Deputy Secretary Cipriani also wanted to highlight the collaborations and grants being funded around the system so that the good work is recognized. PA CareerLink® commercials also started airing on TV, radio, social media, and billboards. Nick Gilson chimed in that his team could possibly help advise on the social media aspect of the advertising. Deputy Secretary Cipriani also expressed that the Department of Labor and Industry along with the Department of Education awarded 59 awards totaling $2.6 million for Teacher in the Workplace and there has been tremendous positive feedback so far. The Department is also still working towards getting apprenticeship numbers on CWDS. Labor and Industry are also now sharing data on SNAP, SNAP 50/50, and medical assistance. Deputy Secretary Cipriani also thanked Mike White and Chris Manlove for their work on their report in conjunction with DHS and DCED. Deputy Secretary Cipriani remarked that everyone should visit their local CTC because she and Secretary Oleksiak are halfway through visiting all 84 of them in the state and the visits have been remarkable. The Department of Labor and Industry also just recently released PA Smart grants focusing on early childhood education and nine institutions of higher ed are involved at the moment.

PA Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Gerry Oleksiak commented that he has heard how much teachers love the Teacher in the Workplace program. Secretary Oleksiak explained that the teachers have been finding the program very beneficial because they are taking what they learned back to their classroom. Secretary Oleksiak asserted that he has been involved in the Keystone Command Center and that has been beneficial because partners are learning everything that has been going on in the commonwealth with workforce development. Secretary Oleksiak commented that the Command Center is going to get a list of what everyone is working on or wants to do in an effort to not duplicated services and find ways to work together. Secretary Oleksiak remarked that he and Deputy Secretary Cipriani went to one of his favorite events the day before, What’s So Cool About Manufacturing. Sec. Oleksiak asked for clarification of the name and Mr. Fogarty responded that the Lehigh Valley MRC put together the IRC. Secretary Oleksiak remarked that it is a collaborative effort between middle schools and local business where the kids create a video about what was cool about manufacturing. There were almost 300 schools that participated and ended with 32 finalists. Secretary Oleksiak concluded that that when they travel that people say that they are still fighting the saying that everybody needs a four-year degree and while it is great if somebody wants to do that it is still important to emphasize the opportunities in apprenticeships, in manufacturing, and in CTCs.

Mr. Eiding expressed that he was happy to hear that there will be a system to evaluate the amount of apprenticeships and that middle schools and below are introducing kids to the fact that manufacturing and other pathways are viable for them. Mr. Eiding asked how many pre-apprentices went into apprentice programs. Deputy Secretary Cipriani responded that there are now 23 programs registered with the state but that they are harder to track because they are not in RAPIDS. She also commented that they are working on a way to track those programs. Mr. Eiding responded that it is important to track them because a lot of grant money went out. Deputy Secretary Cipriani then commented that they can be tracked if funding came from the state but programs that do not get funds from the state have not been tracked. Mr. Sirianni then asked if the Department had data on each apprentice and Deputy Cipriani responded that the RAPIDS federal system tracked the apprentices. Mr. Sirianni further questioned if individuals can be tracked for employment through unemployment comp records. Deputy

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Secretary Cipriani responded that that is being worked on so that the dots can be connected. Mr. Sirianni then questioned how long that would take and Deputy Secretary Cipriani responded that it is a long process to work out the MOU with the federal government. Mr. Sirianni further questioned that the Department couldn’t share their own information, but Deputy Secretary Cipriani responded that it is technically the federal government’s information.

Secretary Oleksiak then commented that the state is trying to use a new approach called Future Ready PA in conjunction with the PA Department of Education to expose kids to a variety of different career options. It has only been in effect for a year, but it is moving in the right direction.

Mr. Eiding commented to highlight the work that Philadelphia Academies has done in the last fifty years especially in their work to reach out to 8th and 9th graders.

Ms. Hollister then asked about efforts to disseminate the report about PA CareerLink® to lower levels. Deputy Secretary Cipriani responded that the report has been distributed to the local elements of Workforce Development and that the assistant regional directors have been tasked with working on resolving issues that were exposed by the report including privacy. The Commonwealth is trying to staff as quickly as possible and the state is trying to fix those problems as quickly as possible. Deputy Secretary Cipriani reflected that the department is looking at ways to solve the redundancy of people needing to give their personal information to PA CareerLink®, OVR, and DHS.

Chairman Brown commented that the Board members would probably be interested in helping spread the social media marketing items and that the communications office should send it along.

Mr. Kunz then asked if there is an established definition that is being used for pre-apprenticeship because he sees ambiguity in how the distinctions are being made. Deputy Secretary Cipriani replied that the department is using the pre-apprenticeship standards that were adopted by the Department’s Apprenticeship Council and that they are on the Department’s website.

Mr. Kunz responded that he would like to see them because he saw examples of people going into pre- apprenticeships expecting them to be apprenticeships. Mr. Kunz said that part of the difference is the success rate of getting into a program.

Mr. Stephens asked is there has been any thoughts into developing apprenticeship programs for the incarcerated or previously incarcerated because that is a large part of the workforce. Deputy Secretary Cipriani replied that at least one program like that is in the works in Berks County. It is called the Berks County Pretrial and is a construction pre-apprenticeship and that their recidivism rate is about 3 or 2 percent.

PDE Overview, Future Ready PA Index, K – 12 School Guidance Plans, and Career Ready Skills

PA Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera commented that the hardest part of the work is communicating what is happening and making people aware of it. He also commented that the state has come a long way about speaking out of silos and knowing what is going on around the Commonwealth. Secretary Rivera then introduced the rest of the presenters, Julie (the PDE policy Director), Laura (the Special Advisor on Workforce), Lee (with the CTE team), and Dr. Piraino (who represents a superintendent and school board). Secretary Rivera then noted two areas of the mission that are important to their work. The two points are ensuring that every learner has access to a world-class

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education system. He commented that the role of the Department of Education is to set the conditions for the work to take place. Research done by PDE and researchers has shown that a high school diploma alone will not be enough to ensure economic success. By 2025 about 63 percent of PA jobs will require some kind of postsecondary education or training, industry certificate, two-year degree, or four-year degree. Out of the STEM jobs in PA, 91 percent will require some form of post-secondary credential. Secretary Rivera also noted that postsecondary education is a critical path to economic security, especially to underrepresented populations. Secretary Rivera then commented that their second goal is to get the stats of underrepresented populations that have some kind of post-secondary credential up. In the African-American black community only 27 percent have post-secondary education and in the Latino community the number is about 23 percent. Secretary Rivera commented that the presentation would be about how the Department of Education works to provide educators and school counselors with the tools and resources they need, how they continue to develop secondary to postsecondary career pathways, and how they continue to increase access to participation in postsecondary opportunities. Secretary Rivera then provided a brief overview of the PA Department of Education in that they serve early childhood through higher ed and that there are 1.74 million public school students in pre-K to 12th grade and over 265,000 of those students receive some type of special education service. Throughout the Commonwealth there are 500 school districts, 179 charter schools, 84 career and technical education centers and 29 intermediate units. There are also 14 state community colleges, 14 PA State Systems of Higher Education universities, 4 state related universities, one state college of technology, 92 independent colleges and universities, and 230 postsecondary private licensed schools. There are also 53 agencies that provide adult education and family literacy services and 604 statewide libraries.

Julie Kane, policy director, then began her presentation of engaging state and federal policy to advance the workforce agenda. Ms. Kane commented that education is one of the most regulated sectors in the state and the country. She also provided a brief overview of the laws that govern education in the state including the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Pennsylvania School Code, the Perkins Act, the State Private Licensed Schools Act, and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. A law that covers higher education is the Higher Education Act. PDE also has an Office for Veterans Education. Laura Fridirici then explained the statewide career readiness efforts. Part of the effort is in the career education and work standards. Ms. Fridirici also elaborated on the programming efforts of the PDE. She commented that at the school level, there is the K-12 School Guidance Plan. The Chapter 339 regulation required schools to develop a comprehensive school plan that would address career readiness, career education, and work standards curriculum integration. From that schools also have Occupational Advisory Councils. Secretary Rivera recommended that the board members connect with their local school district Occupational Advisory Council. Ms. Fridirici commented that PDE hosted two counselor symposiums last year to support counselors and increase guidance about their K-12 School Guidance Plans. For students, PDE has pacareerzone.org which helps students figure out their career plans. A few weeks prior to the quarterly PA WDB meeting, PDE launched a career readiness and state training plan called the Career Ready PA Coalition. Ms. Fridirici finally commented on the Future Ready PA Index which measures how students are meaningfully engaged. Ms. Fridirici then continued to explain part of the dashboard as that it has three separate sections: assessment measures, on-track measures (attendance rate, etc.), and the college and career measures. Ms. Kane commented that PDE’s workforce effort focuses on more than just career and technical education. Commented that there is a robust system of PDE- approved CTE programs of study. Ms. Kane then provided some statistics from 2017. There were 135 schools and 84

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CTCs that were offering more than 1,700 approved secondary CTE program. Over 67,000 secondary students enrolled in the programs and almost 35,000 earned an industry credential. Also, about 16,000 students earned almost 7,000 college credits before graduation. More than a third of students enter postsecondary after leaving a career tech center or another program of study. Ms. Kane also noted that the federal government has more control over colleges and universities than the Commonwealth does. However, PDE and the Board of Private Licensed Schools had oversight of about 173,000 students that were enrolled in about 230 private licensed schools. PDE also provided funding to 43 agencies that provided adult basic and family literacy to more than 25,000 people. Ms. Kane also stated that is vital for the workforce to utilize incumbent works and the adult basic education participants. PDE is also developing a four-year plan for Perkins V. Noted that if people had thoughts on Perkins to email the resource account and share them.

Chairman Brown then opened the presentation up to questions. Mr. Eiding asked about the benchmarks for reading and math and about approval of career readiness programs. Ms. Fridirici responded that they have measures to test on-track measures in Grade 3 reading and Grade 7 math, and that the Teacher in the Workplace grants really helps to get the career readiness programs into schools because the teachers can more easily connect with their councils and stakeholders and support pathways in that way. Secretary Rivera then prompted Ms. Fridirici to share what needs to be done to pass math NOCTI/NIMS and earn an industry credential. Ms. Fridirici responded that NOCTI/NIMS is already done in the CTCs but in a school district, they can get credit for the indicators if they are competent or advanced. Ms. Cowan then asked PDE about their concepts on middle colleges as schools are developing programs for students to get their high school diploma and their associates degree at the same time. Ms. Fridirici answered that that dual enrollment is an intensive model and that some schools just cannot participate because of local and other factors. Ms. Fridirici noted that PDE is encouraging schools to think creatively and partner with post-secondary education to make it easier for students to expand. Ms. Cowan then asked about more specifically expanding into investing into middle colleges. Secretary Rivera answered that the Governor has been focusing heavily on funding basic education and incentivizing accountability within the system. Chairman Brown asked a “report card” for career readiness in school districts. Ms. Fridirici answered that there is a required federal indicator that school districts have to use. The benchmarks where schools have to report is Grades 5, 8, and 11. Chairman Brown commented that he would love to continue to receive progress updates. Ms. Kane responded that PDE would be glad to do so and that last year was the first baseline year. Mr. Sygielski thanked Ms. Kane and Ms. Fridirici for their presenting and then asked Secretary Rivera about putting the key barriers into a matrix format. Secretary Rivera responded that yes that can happen. Ms. Kane commented that from the Keystone Workforce Command Center that solutions are starting to be identified. Ms. Pace then asked about expanding the CTCs and CTEs programs to reach the school districts where their programs are capped out. Secretary Rivera commented that they are looking at ways to expand programs, but they are facing challenges. The first is that as they are changing the perception of career and technical education, they are becoming more competitive. Another problem is finding enough qualified instructors on skill alone, but it is even harder because skilled workers can get paid more in their craft rather than as a teacher. PDE has been having more conversations around the two plus two plus two models to get more access to students. Ms. Kane added that there are more options than just the career tech centers, as there are apprenticeships and training programs so there are many pathways for students to get the jobs they want. Secretary Rivera added that many state agencies have been involved in the effort.

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Chairman Brown invited Dr. Gennaro R. Piraino, Jr. (Superintendent of Franklin Regional School District) and Mr. Bill Thompson (Executive Director of the Westmoreland/Fayette Workforce Development Board) to give their part of the presentation.

Dr. Piraino remarked that five years ago education and business leaders in the region talked about how they were operating in silos. Part of that conversation had been about how there was a gap of 80,000 jobs in Western PA and not enough workers. Dr. Piraino commented that there wasn’t a collaboration system in place to expand the region. The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County had been instrumental for them to talk about overcoming barriers. Each partner contributes $5,000 a year to support the forum but they have systems in place for school districts that don’t have the money to engage with the forum in other ways.

A breakdown of the forum is as follows. The steering committee is made of leaders from business, education groups, and economic development organizations. There are then three task forces that create goals and activities for themselves. One of the projects that was created was the HUB. The HUB is an online portal that allows students to communicate with career services and businesses to arrangement professional development activities. Dr. Piraino commented that one of their biggest challenges is getting businesses to realize that high school students can be a valuable asset to their operations. Dr. Piraino also commented that Franklin has about 60 students per semester doing internships and apprenticeships. The county also has a strong dual-enrollment program going.

Ms. Andahazy asked Dr. Piraino if they had a Next Gen partnership connected with their forum because the work appeared to overlap. Dr. Piraino commented that there is no intentional overlap. The created the set-up that they had to benefit the community the best that they could. Mr. Thompson then injected that their partnership has a manufacturing partnership already set up, but it does not coincide with the Next Gen Partnership as it was already longstanding. Mr. Thompson continued the sentiment that it was sometimes hard to get businesses to participate in the activities that the forum established but that there are about 86 businesses registered with the HUB. The region also participates in BotsIQ where businesses interact with students and help them build robots.

Chairman Brown announced a lunch break that lasted form 12:16pm to 12:48 pm.

DHS Work Supports Initiative

Chairman Brown then asked PA Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller to present about the DHS Work Supports Initiative. Secretary Miller commented that the Department of Human Services is making an effort to address how things like education and employment influence health outcomes and health spending. PA DHS started looking at the largest existing employment and training programs that serve people enrolled in TANF. The program includes Work Ready, run by community action agencies and EARN is run by local workforce development boards, and KEYS is run by community colleges. Secretary Miller commented that they discovered that the EARN and Work Ready programs need significant reform. They found in the EARN program that less than half of the referrals actually enrolled and then only 16 percent were placed into a job. After six months only, 4.5 percent of people said that they were still in the job that they were placed in. Over $61 million was spent on the programs that year. They have also found that more than 50 percent of TANF enrollees who leave the program return within a year. Secretary Miller then noted that from the Governor’s initiative about serving Pennsylvanians that the Department of Human Services sat down with the TANF participants to get their

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opinions on the program. The feedback that they received was that they found the program was operating as a one-size-fits-all system that wasn’t helping them address their barriers. Also, some participants were denied certain accesses at the PA CareerLink® and hours spent hours of the week looking at low-paying jobs on the computer. Sec. Miller noted that the goal for TANF funding is to help the participants develop skills and create financial independence. The new design for the programs will focus on reducing the drop-off rate between referrals and enrollment, providing greater access to training opportunities, supporting career pathways where participants can rise to family sustaining wages. Several other goals include creating individualized experiences for the participants, expanding the network of support agencies and services for those with barriers, and reducing the rate of participants returning to the program. Secretary Miller stated that the goal is to invest in the individuals so that they can transition off of public assistance for the long term. It is also the vision of the Governor to make the PA CareerLink® the one-stop delivery system and that the social services case manager will support participants in being prepared to engage with employment services. About $12 million in TANF funding will be invested in PA CareerLink® to support service delivery to shared customers. Secretary Miller also commented that while changes to the WIOA shouldn’t be needed for the goals to be accomplished, DHS will still work with Labor and Industry to ensure alignment of goals. DHS is also shifting to a procurement for the EARN system and there will be a public comment period before the procurement is issued formally. Secretary Miller also commented that because of immediate input from the local boards, changes were made to allow for a better EARN process. Secretary Miller also mentioned looking into opportunities to support two gen approaches that have the ability to impact generational poverty. They have also been seeking information on interest in replicating Misericordia University’s Women and Children program so that single parents can pursue education and training. The Governor included $5 million in his 19-20 proposed budget to support start-ups for seven postsecondary support programs at other places of postsecondary education.

Ms. Dawn Cowan asked if Secretary Miller could provide an example of how the new model will help TANF customers access the training programs and what the strategic plan that DHS put in place to handle the administrative capacity for the new statewide program. Secretary Miller stated that a lot of procurement work is already done at DHS and that needing to put in new staff or systems is not anticipated. Secretary Miller stated that regarding the question about the new model, that they are still developing it but that the goal is encourage customers to look at education and training opportunities. Ms. Cowan then asked about how the new model will impact the sustainability of the PA CareerLink® offices. Secretary Miller responded that some PA CareerLink® offices have expressed concern and the DHS also wants to make sure that TANF money is going to TANF clients.

Mr. Eiding commented that he remembered the days where TANF places were across Philadelphia and not working together but they reformed them and ensured that people wouldn’t be isolated. Mr. Eiding continued that people that know the clients locally are the best ones for the job and that it looks like the governor is just privatizing the program that has done a lot for clients.

Ms. Andahazy asked Secretary Miller if in the redesign, the benefit cliff as a barrier to success will be addressed. Secretary Miller commented that the benefit cliff is an issue for all clients and probably for people that make more than TANF clients. She noted though that they are trying to figure it out, even by looking at different states’ models. Ms. Andahazy further asked when there would be progress on it. Secretary Miller responded that the staff tasked with that are currently working on other aspects of the tool so once the procurement is going out she will be focusing on it.

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Ms. Jodi Pace then asked if they would be going out and talking to people to build benchmarks like they did before the Jobs First model. Secretary Miller responded that they are talking to many different stakeholders at the moment to get feedback, but they are mostly trying to look at models. The Bucks County model has been posting amazing data in their three-year model where they start out making $12,000 a year by the end of the program, they are making $46,000. Secretary Miller continued that she believes that Misericordia’s program is successful not because of the university but because of the resources and support that it provides.

Chairman Brown asked that if feedback from local boards and the State Workforce Development Board would be taken into consideration for planning. Secretary Miller responded that it would be and that they have already been meeting with some individually. Mr. Eiding further asked if they were meeting with people from the board or the administrative arm. Secretary Miller responded that they were meeting with the individuals of the board. Chairman Brown thanked Secretary Miller for her report.

Chairman Brown announced that they would move into committee updates.

Committee Updates- Youth Committee

The chair of the Youth Committee, James Kunz reported that the committee has been developing a common definition for career readiness and that it is a requirement of the Combined State Plan. The Youth Committee looked at the results of the survey that had been sent out and have been developed in partnership wit the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis. Mr. Kunz also commented that the committee has been working with Steve Herzenberg and the Keystone Research Center on the pre- apprenticeship survey. The purpose was to increase awareness of pre-apprenticeship activities in PA and share best practices. Youth Committee has also been collaborating with the Career Pathways and Apprenticeship Committee, chaired by Julene Campion, as there is overlap with pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship. Mr. Kunz also said that they next objective was to determine another priority and thanked committee members for their input in creating a definition. Mr. Kunz thanked James Martini for everything that he had done with the committee and welcomed Tracey Turner. Mr. Kunz also introduced Sarah Hollister as a new member of the committee. Mr. Kunz then also asked the Board to look at the definition that they developed. “An individual is considered to be career ready when they possess the employability skills and technical skills to enter and advance along a career pathway. Primary needs in making individuals career ready: Acquisition of foundational employability skills, including digital literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, and self-management skills and the ability to locate and use information, understand systems and work with others; educational and training such that individuals possess the functional and technical skills to perform required job activities; fundamental skills in reading, writing, and mathematics that allow an individual to effectively communicate in a work setting. Mr. Kunz concluded by saying that it was a unanimous recommendation of the committee that the Board approve the definition.

Chairman Brown clarified that Mr. Kunz was asking the Board to approve a recommendation to the Governor for the definition.

Chairman Brown asked for a motion. Mr. Kunz made the motion and Ms. Hollister asked what the proposed purpose of the definition and how it would be used in policy. Mr. Kunz responded that it was to provide a benchmark. Mr. Kunz continued that the definition would go out to the local workforce development boards and that they would make the definition their own by expanding on it. Chairman

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Brown added that the goals cascade through the different departments and the departments will ask if programs are moving to better performance. Ms. Hollister then referred back to the Future Ready Index and how it was aligned. Chairman Brown responded that the Youth Committee could do a follow-up. Mr. Kunz then added that there was no problem but that members needed to recognize the complexity of looking at two different groups. Ms. Kane added that a common definition is establishing commonality around the state and different agencies. Mr. Gilson remarked that in his experience as a teacher and now an employer that the definition encapsulates about half of what it takes to advance along a career. Mr. Gilson believes that the definition was missing language about advancement. He commented that he found that if you gave a student the mindset that they could persevere and be confident that one could skip teaching them the basic skills because they would have the ability and confidence to figure it out themselves. Mr. Gilson furthered commented that giving people the ability to fail and giving them the mindset to respond to the failure was ultimately successful. Mr. Gilson then talked about the Teach for America model where they don’t hire trained teachers, they hire people that are just ready. In that hiring they are not looking for specific skills but mindset and perseverance. Ms. Kane commented that she agrees that it is the employability skills that one possesses. PDE feels like the perseverance falls under the self-management skills. Mr. Gilson added that it is important for educators to understand that it is more than just technical physical skills. Ms. Kane responded that it is important to work on the skills at all grade levels so that bad habits do not have to be changed later.

Mr. Kunz soft skills don’t necessarily stay the same with all careers. When hiring he doesn’t look but the skills like Microsoft Office, and that with construction, one just needs the aptitude and the work ethic. Mr. Kunz also added that communication with parents also needs to get figured out because parents will tell their kids that they are going to college instead of going for the technical jobs.

Ms. Trybus asked if the Board could dig a bit deeper into awareness and look at how it maps to the career mandates. Ms. Kane responded that it is already happening to some degree. Ms. Kane also added that they are trying to get to a point in career ready benchmark where everything would be integrated into the curriculum and it would show as evidence.

Chairman Brown commented that he would like to approve the definition if it was okay with the Board but that he thought that there should maybe be a deeper dive into the definition. Chairman Brown also suggested that Mr. Gilson join the Youth subcommittee. Mr. Gilson commented that he would like to talk about it and that he sees career pathways in a more holistic definition.

Chairman Brown then asked for a MOTION to approve the recommended definition. Mr. Eiding made the motion and Mr. Sygielski seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

Committee Updates- Industry Partnerships and Employer Engagement

Chairman Brown then asked Chair Sygielski to present on Industry Partnerships and Employer Engagement. Mr. Sygielski reported that the committee developed a reviewed a survey for the conveners and employers to determine the effectiveness of the partnerships and employer engagement. Mr. Sygielski also said that the Next Generation Partnership dashboard is now working and that the employer engagement survey and results will be used to influence any part of the revision of the State Plan. Mr. Martini commented that the dashboard would be shortly shared with the Board.

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Mr. Sygielski congratulated Allison Jones on her move the budget office and James Martini on becoming Director.

Committee Updates- Re-entry Ad Hoc Committee

Chairman Brown then asked Mr. Jeff Abramowitz to report on the Re-entry Ad Hoc Committee. Mr. Abramowitz stated that he co-chaired the committee with Chairman Brown and that he also represented the Pennsylvania Re-entry Council in their presence in the Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Abramowitz continued and said that for the next meeting the committee would be discussing a regional re-entry roundtable for employee and employer engagement, a re-entry toolkit, and set forward a list of recommendations for the Board and the Governor to consider. Mr. Abramowitz then thanked Allison Jones for brining the Pennsylvania Re-entry Council and the Attorney General’s Office together.

Chairman Brown then asked Mr. Martini to present about the remaining three committees as the chairs for those committees had other commitments.

Committee Updates- Continuous Improvement

Mr. Martini reported that the Continuous Improvement Committee was working on several things but that the implementation work plan and the dashboard for tracking the implementation was the primary focus. Mr. Martini then invited Mr. Christopher Manlove to speak about what Labor and Industry’s Bureau of Workforce Development Administration, BWDA, was doing with the work. Mr. Manlove reported that BWDA is engaged in a review of all Commonwealth workforce development policies. One of the first things they did was to look at the age of the policy, specifically if it was from the Workforce Investment Act era or the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Mr. Manlove also said that another thing that they are considering with the policies is how relevant they are. Another area that they are looking at is if an old policy should be a policy or is it more a guidance or guideline. The last point that that they are looking for is redundancy while defining and executing a multiparty approach to the workforce system. Mr. Martini concluded the Continuous Improvement report by saying that the larger-scale policies will be brought before the committee.

Committee Updates- Career Pathways

Mr. Martini then reported that for the Career Pathways committee, they are working on a definition of career pathways looks like and that they are doing a procurement for a vendor to do research and create an inventory of the work being done around the state. They will also be looking at where to be supportive in the apprenticeship activity.

Committee Updates- Healthcare Workforce Ad Hoc Committee

Mr. Martini reported that the Health Care committee’s biggest goal is to create a crisis statement around the direct care workforce.

Local Workforce Development Board Partner Updates

Chairman Brown then asked Mr. Pat Clancy who is CEO/President of Philadelphia Works, the local Workforce Development, to do his report. Mr. Clancy started by saying that Philadelphia Works is the city’s workforce development board and that the Mayor of Philadelphia appoints the board and his position. Mr. Clancy said that the city has about 1.5 million residents but that they have a 26 percent

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poverty rate and a 67 percent public high school graduation rate. One of the challenges that they have after adding jobs is that they are not always family-sustaining jobs. Philadelphia also has a 5.6 percent employment rate and that 51 percent of TANF customers live in the city. Mr. Clancy stated that Philadelphia Works does a lot in business engagement and that they have a separate unit that does all their data management. They also have a full unit that is working on recruiting businesses for apprenticeships to try to grow that within the city. Mr. Clancy also noted that they have a Work Ready program that will have about 10,000 young people going through summer experiences. The budget for the workforce development board is $55 million and that 75 people work for Philadelphia Works and about 500 subcontractors. Mr. Clancy then noted that Mr. Eiding serves on the Philadelphia Works board. Mr. Clancy continued by saying that part of service delivery for them was by customizing training programs and have built a literacy bridge into every program. The board also leverages investments and work closely with the mayor. Philadelphia Works is also working with the fire department, police department, and all the other city agencies to do work on the Mayor’s Roadmap to Safer Communities to be able to provide services to people in those communities. The Board also has analysts that can predict where there will be incidents and then the board goes to provide services in the area. Mr. Clancy also noted that the board does a lot of work with returning citizens and that they are working with Thomas Jefferson University, District 1199-C, and JEVS Human Services. The Board also does a lot of work looking into growth sectors. They are also opening their first ever training facility at the Port of Philadelphia with thanks to Citizens Bank. There are also four PA CareerLink® offices and 40,000 people a year enter the centers. The Board is also involved in 17 libraries and 15 community-based organizations. They also have Apprenticeship PHL which is a brand-new website on apprenticeships. They are also in partnership with the Department of Human Services to redesign the EARN program and there are now three tracks. The Board is also still trying to work with the Work First part of state policy. The Mayor also put together the Philadelphia Delegation the last two years, which is a workforce plan. Mr. Clancy then noted that if Philadelphia Works lost part of its funding, three of the four PA CareerLink® offices would have to be closed. Mr. Clancy noted that they leverage the funding that they get from the Commonwealth. Mr. Clancy then voiced that the local workforce development boards should be a partner in the programs that they have to put in place. He also remarked that statewide procurement is not the answer. Mr. Clancy also expressed his frustration with how the workforce board gets paid with TANF recipients. He explained to the Board that the recipients have to bring in their pay stubs and the workforce board has to send them to Harrisburg even though Philadelphia Works has a data sharing agreement with the Department of Labor and Industry. Mr. Clancy remarked that Philadelphia Works will spend four million dollars tracking down the stubs. Mr. Clancy expressed that he sees an ability for the local workforce development boards to be a part of the solution and to augment and enhance services. Mr. Clancy concluded by saying that Philadelphia Works has an evaluation department that has been surveying TANF customers to get their input.

Chairman Brown then thanked Mr. Clancy for his presentation. Chairman Brown also noted that the Workforce Innovation and opportunity Act (WIOA) refresher would be moved to the next meeting.

Public Comments

Chairman Brown then opened the floor up to public comments. Ms. Susie Snelick, who is the chair of the Pennsylvania Workforce Association, thanked the Board for their support of the local system. Ms. Snelick also commented that they were having their annual conference in Hershey the next week. Chairman Brown then remarked that he heard her and the comments that she was making.

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Mr. Eiding then commented that he had 17 years invested in the Philadelphia Workforce Board and he hoped that the Governor heard what was being said. Chairman Brown added that he heard Mr. Eiding and that there was two policy people there when there had not been regular attendance of senior policy people.

Adjournment

Chairman Brown then concluded the meeting at 2:18pm.

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